Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

A fierce wind howled atop the Star-Picking Building.

Tianpeng stood on the void, the ancient compass in his hand spinning wildly, the pointer trembling and emitting a teeth-grinding friction sound.

She raised her hand and tapped her fingertips several times in the air.

"fall."

The single word uttered shook the heavens.

The once pitch-black night sky suddenly lit up, and as if hearing a command, billions of stars simultaneously lowered beams of light visible to the naked eye.

These pillars of light were not the gentle moonlight, but chains carrying the majestic might of heaven, densely packed like a giant golden fishing net, fiercely covering the northern land from the heavens.

All beings in the Northern Region, whether human or demon, felt their scalps tingle at this moment. A sense of being spied on, originating from the depths of their souls, arose spontaneously, as if they had been stripped naked and thrown under the scorching sun, with nowhere to hide.

Indra stood behind Tianpeng, his hands gripping the white jade railing tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He stared at the vast net of stars that covered the heavens and the earth, his breathing rapid.

This is a gamble that will determine the fate of the nation.

If the nine-tailed celestial fox cannot be found, Master's Dao injury will be incurable, and the entire demon race will lose its last protection.

"Found it!"

Tianpeng suddenly let out a low shout.

The starlight hovered over the northern region for a moment, then, like sharks that had smelled blood, it rushed madly toward the southwest.

The light grew brighter and brighter, eventually transforming into a towering golden pillar that pierced straight into the vast swamp shrouded in mist year-round.

boom!

The mist above Yunmengze was forcibly torn apart by this domineering force.

Immediately afterwards, a huge phantom slowly emerged from the pillar of light.

It was a pure white fox with nine tails that stretched wildly behind it, each one a hundred feet long, blotting out the sky.

It roared to the sky, and though it was silent, an aura of imperial dominance swept out, causing the surrounding void to shatter inch by inch.

Indra's pupils contracted sharply.

"Click."

He crushed the white jade railing in his hands into powder.

He stared intently at the statue, his eyes brimming with almost overflowing ecstasy.

"The Nine-Tails...it really is the Nine-Tails!"

This aura was even more domineering than the one he had seen in his dream.

This is Master's only chance of survival.

This is the future of the demon race.

"In Yunmengze."

Tianpeng looked at the fixed direction on the compass, but his brows furrowed, and his originally relaxed brows twisted into a "川" (river) shape.

Yunmeng Marsh.

That's the little tiger's territory.

It was also the "home" that the mad old Taoist priest left for the little tiger.

"Junior brother." Tianpeng put away the compass, and the starlight in the sky dissipated, leaving only the beam of light that locked onto Yunmengze still dazzling. "That's Bai Yin's place."

The ecstasy on Indra's face subsided slightly, replaced by a gloomy expression.

Of course he knew whose place it was.

That crazy, murderous tiger.

"So what?" Di Shitian turned around, his bright yellow dragon robe billowing in the wind. "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king. Bai Yin is also my subject. The person I'm looking for is in his house. Can't I go there?"

Tianpeng sighed.

"You know that's not what I'm talking about." She looked at Di Shitian, her tone grave. "Who's standing behind Bai Yin? That's the old Taoist's favored youngest disciple, and part of his scheme. If we force our way in, disturbing his karma, and our master awakens..."

"If Master doesn't wake up, what's the point of this karma!"

Indra abruptly interrupted her, his voice rising several decibels.

He strode up to Tianpeng, his eyes bloodshot: "Senior Sister, look at the current situation. The human holy lands are eyeing us covetously, and the demon race is stirring. If Master falls, what will our Heavenly Demon Dynasty use to stop them? What will the Demon Heavenly Court use to protect this vast land?"

"What does that madman Bai Yin know? All he knows is guarding his dilapidated swamp and killing people!"

"For my master, I would not hesitate to risk everything, even turning the entire Northern Region upside down, let alone storming Yunmeng Marsh."

Tianpeng remained silent.

Looking at her junior brother, who had become somewhat insane, she felt a mix of emotions.

Indra is correct.

He is the Demon Emperor, bearing the life and death of billions of demons on his shoulders.

But Bai Yin wasn't wrong either.

That little tiger just wanted to guard its own little patch of land and live a few peaceful days.

The problem is this damned world.

"Never mind." Tianpeng shook his head, and with a flick of his wrist, a pitch-black oiled paper umbrella appeared in his hand.

Mountains and rivers are painted on the umbrella, with a faint shimmering light.

An ancient artifact, the Sky-Shielding Umbrella.

It can obscure the secrets of heaven and sever cause and effect.

"Since you've made up your mind, then I'll accompany you on this journey." Tianpeng handed the umbrella to Di Shitian. "Take this with you. If that mad old Taoist has any backup plans, this umbrella might be able to protect you."

Indra accepted the umbrella and nodded solemnly.

"Thank you, senior sister."

He turned around and looked down at the army that had already assembled.

Three thousand Heavenly Demon Guards, clad in black armor, exuded a murderous aura.

The eight enshrined figures, all at the peak of the Casting Cauldron Realm, possessed profound and abyssal auras, as deep and unfathomable as a prison.

Furthermore, three void warships, each a thousand feet long, hovered in mid-air, their dark cannons pointing directly to the southwest.

This lineup is enough to wipe out any first-rate sect.

"Issue my decree."

Di Shitian drew the Emperor's Sword from his waist, its blade pointing directly towards Yunmengze.

"Block out the area within a hundred miles of Yunmeng Marsh, not even a fly is allowed to escape."

"Anyone who obstructs this will be killed without mercy!"

"Set off!"

woo-

A mournful bugle call echoed through the sky.

The three warships roared into action, crushing the void and crashing towards the mist-shrouded swamp with a thunderous roar.

……

Yunmeng Marsh.

The once peaceful reed marshes were now swept by a fierce wind.

The golden beam of light that descended from the sky was like a sharp sword, piercing straight into the depths of the swamp and dispelling the mist that stretched for miles around.

Su Xiaojiu sat on the rock at the cave entrance, looking up at the huge nine-tailed phantom above her head, her lips twitching.

Isn't this a bit too much of a commotion?

Who knew this formation would be so powerful, it immediately generated a server-wide announcement for her.

Now, not only the demon race, but probably the entire Northern Region knows that there is a nine-tailed fox here.

"This is troublesome."

Su Xiaojiu rubbed her temples.

She turned to look at Bai Yin beside her.

The silly tiger was staring intently at the pillar of light in the sky, its fur standing on end.

He couldn't understand what auspicious omen the nine-tailed phantom represented, nor did he understand the imperial aura.

In his eyes, this was a provocation.

A blatant provocation.

Someone put a flag in front of his house with the words "I'm coming in to rob you" written on it.

"roar--"

Bai Yin let out a low growl.

He slowly straightened up, his previously hunched back now standing ramrod straight, like a spear about to pierce the sky.

His clothes moved and fluttered even without wind.

An intense, almost overwhelming stench of blood erupted from his body, instantly dissipating the surrounding imperial aura.

That's the malevolent energy cultivated through killing countless lives and rolling through mountains of corpses and seas of blood hundreds of times.

"Xiao Bai," Su Xiao Jiu called out to him.

Bai Yin did not turn around.

He kept staring in that direction, the crimson in his eyes slowly eroding his reason.

"They're coming."

Bai Yin's voice was soft, yet it carried a chilling undertone.

"Who?" Su Xiaojiu asked knowingly.

"Stealing your people."

Bai Yin turned his head and glanced at Su Xiaojiu.

That one glance sent a shiver down Su Xiaojiu's spine.

There was no fear, no panic, only an almost obsessive madness.

It's like a wild animal guarding its food, watching someone reach for its only bone.

"Xiao Jiu, go inside."

Bai Yin pointed to the cave behind him, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"I'm not going," Su Xiaojiu shook her head. "I want to stay with you."

"obedient."

Bai Yin walked over and reached out to pat her head, but stopped in mid-air.

His hands were shaking.

It wasn't out of fear, but out of excitement.

That kind of excitement about about to unleash a massacre.

"There are a lot of people coming this time, and they're very strong." Bai Yin withdrew his hand, clenching it into a tight fist. "I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of you."

He could sense it.

Those approaching auras were ridiculously strong.

Especially the first two lines, they were like two blazing suns, threatening to dry up all the water in Yunmeng Marsh.

But he doesn't care.

Anyone who dares to come will die.

"I'm not afraid." Su Xiaojiu stood up, walked to him, and reached out to grasp his trembling fist. "Xiaobai, you promised me you wouldn't abandon me."

Bai Yin looked at her.

The crimson under his eyes had faded slightly.

He grabbed Su Xiaojiu's hand and squeezed it hard.

"it is good."

"I won't throw it away."

"If anyone dares to reach out, I'll chop off their hand."

"Anyone who dares to look at you, I'll gouge out their eyes."

Bai Yin took a deep breath, turned around abruptly, and looked at the several black dots on the distant horizon that were rapidly enlarging.

Those were warships of the Heavenly Demon Dynasty.

The massive ship's hull crushed through the clouds, casting vast shadows that shrouded the entire Yunmeng Marsh in darkness.

At the bow of the ship, Indra, dressed in a dragon robe, stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sharp as lightning, piercing straight in their direction.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

There were no sparks, only deathly silence.

One is an emperor who rules over all demons.

One is a mad tiger who rules the mountain.

"Bai Yin!"

Indra's voice, imbued with spiritual power, boomed like thunder across the sky above Yunmeng Marsh.

"I have come for the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, for the people of my dynasty, and for all living beings of the demon race!"

The sound shook the reeds and caused waves to surge on the water.

Bai Yin tilted his head.

He reached up and picked at his ear, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

A nine-tailed celestial fox? Ordinary people of the imperial dynasty? Or the demon race?

They are all ji'r mouths.

All he knew was that these people were after Xiao Jiu.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Leave Yunmengze!"

Bai Yin stomped his foot.

boom!

The boulder beneath their feet instantly crumbled into dust.

He soared into the sky, hovering in mid-air, facing alone the overwhelming warships and army.

The Gengjin White Tiger Dharma Image suddenly appeared behind him, towering a hundred feet tall, roaring to the sky, its sound forcefully pushing back the rolling thunder.